From the ruling of the Mehaber and the Rama, to the arbitration of the Shach, the Taz, the Pri Megadim
and the Pitchei Teshuva, up to contemporary Sephardic and Ashkenazi poskim
Subject:
שולחן ערוך יורה דעה סימן קי״א (7 seifim)
with the nossei kelim: ש״ך, ט״ז, פרי מגדים, פתחי תשובה
⚠ Level disclaimer:
This level is not « Daat HaRav »: the Shulchan Aruch HaRav
(Admour HaZaken) does not cover Yoreh De'ah, hence not Siman 111.
It is a level of practical psika: what one does, and whom to ask.
Written and reviewed by:
הרב יוסף חיים סממה · DAAT
How to read this level. Each statement is anchored either in the text of the Shulchan Aruch and its nossei kelim (Shach, Taz, Pri Megadim, Pitchei Teshuva), or in a named responsum of contemporary poskim. On Yoreh De'ah there is neither Mishna Berurah (which comments only on Orach Chaim) nor Shulchan Aruch HaRav / Daat HaRav (the Admour HaZaken did not write YD). Every concrete application (le-ma'asse) ends with the referral to your Rav: real cases mix factual details (the nature of the prohibition, דרבנן or דאורייתא, מין במינו or not, exact volumes, one or two persons, the sequence of the falls) that only a posek seeing your situation can decide.
שְׁתֵּי קְדֵרוֹת, אַחַת שֶׁל הֶתֵּר וְאַחַת שֶׁל אִסּוּר, וּלְפָנָיו שְׁתֵּי חֲתִיכוֹת, אַחַת שֶׁל הֶתֵּר וְאַחַת שֶׁל אִסּוּר — אִם הַחֲתִיכָה הִיא מֵאִסּוּר דְּרַבָּנָן, כְּגוֹן שׁוּמָּנוֹ שֶׁל גִּיד, וְנָפְלוּ אֵלּוּ לְתוֹךְ אֵלּוּ — מֻתָּרִים, שֶׁאָנוּ תּוֹלִין לוֹמַר הָאִסּוּר נָפַל לְתוֹךְ הָאִסּוּר וְהַהֶתֵּר לְתוֹךְ שֶׁל הֶתֵּר.
וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵין הַהֶתֵּר שֶׁבַּקְּדֵרָה מְרֻבֶּה עַל הַחֲתִיכָה. וְכֵן אִם לֹא הָיְתָה כָּאן אֶלָּא קְדֵרָה אַחַת וְנָפַל בָּהּ אַחַת מִשְּׁתֵּי הַחֲתִיכוֹת וְאֵין יָדוּעַ אֵיזוֹ — תּוֹלִין לְהָקֵל.
We attribute (תולין). Two pots, one permitted and one prohibited, and before him two pieces, one permitted and one prohibited — if the piece is a rabbinic prohibition (דרבנן), such as the fat of the gid, and they fell into one another → permitted, for we attribute, saying: the prohibited fell into the prohibited and the permitted into the permitted.
And this even if the permitted in the pot is not more abundant than the piece. Likewise if there was only one pot and one of the two pieces fell into it without knowing which → we attribute leniently.
— Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 111:1 · Talmudic basis: Yevamot 82 (two baskets חולין / תרומה, « שאני אומר ») · Sefaria YD 111:1
The Shach cites the Nimoukei Yossef: for the gravest איסורי משהו (prohibitions not nullified even in the smallest quantity), we do not apply שאני אומר even for a דרבנן prohibition without a majority. The תולין is a leniency of ספק דרבנן, not a blank check: it yields before a prohibition that, by its gravity, tolerates no nullification.
Siman 111 has 7 seifim. The Mehaber lays out the framework of the תולין (seifim 1-4), then the two cases where the תולין does not apply or reverses (seifim 5-6), and finally the great law of the הכל נכנס בספק — the צירוף of two pots to reach the 60 (seif 7); the Rama (הגה) glosses chiefly seifim 6 and 7. Here is the overall map, as it emerges from the text itself.
| Seif | Subject | Psak (anchored in the text) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | תולין for a דרבנן prohibition | 2 pots (permitted/prohibited) + 2 pieces (permitted/prohibited), or 1 pot + one of the two pieces, or 1 piece + 2 pots: if the prohibition is דרבנן (e.g. שומנו של גיד) → permitted; we attribute the prohibition to the prohibited side, even if the permitted is not the majority. |
| 2 | only if the prohibition is not the majority | All this as long as the prohibition is not more abundant than the permitted; but if the prohibition is the majority → we do not attribute leniently. |
| 3 | a דאורייתא prohibition | If the prohibition is from the Torah → we do not attribute leniently, until the permitted nullifies it מן התורה (by majority). |
| 4 | when the permitted is the majority; מין במינו / אינו מינו | Permitted is majority → we attribute. מין במינו → majority suffices (מן התורה בטל ברוב). אינו מינו (a different kind) → 60 is needed. |
| 5 | two permitted pots + 2 pieces | One falls here, the other there → both prohibited (even דרבנן) if neither has enough to nullify. If one has enough to nullify → both permitted. |
| 6 | successive falls | Prohibition into one (known), then into one (unknown) → « the second fell where the first fell » (the other permitted). Unknown then known → both prohibited. Rama: only without 60; with 60 → as if nothing fell (B"Y in the name of the Rashba). |
| 7 | הכל נכנס בספק — the combination | Prohibition into one (unknown), none has 60 but the two together do → they combine (מצטרפות). Even house/attic; even up to a hundred. Only for a single person (destined to be mixed); for two persons → no צירוף. Rama: יש מחמירין even for one person; loss → permitted but mix first. |
| Scenario | Configuration | Psak (a דרבנן prohibition) |
|---|---|---|
| (a) 2 pots + 2 pieces | 1 permitted pot + 1 prohibited pot; 1 permitted piece + 1 prohibited piece; fell into one another | Permitted: we attribute the prohibited into the prohibited, the permitted into the permitted — even if the permitted is not the majority |
| (b) 1 permitted pot + 2 pieces | One of the two pieces fell into it without knowing which | Permitted: we attribute that it was the permitted that fell, even if the permitted is not more abundant than the prohibited |
| (c) 1 piece + 2 pots | A single piece of a דרבנן prohibition, 2 pots (permitted/prohibited), without knowing which | Permitted: we attribute leniently |
Le-ma'asse (the three scenarios). For a דרבנן prohibition where one does not know where it fell — one of the three scenarios — we attribute leniently (תולין) and the dish is permitted, even without a majority of permitted. But this leniency assumes the prohibition is genuinely rabbinic and not a grave איסור משהו (Shach s.k. 3), and that the conditions of seifim 2-4 are met. Qualifying the prohibition (דרבנן / דאורייתא, its gravity) is a factual question — ask your Rav.
| Condition | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Prohibition not majority (seif 2) | We attribute (even without a majority of permitted) as long as the prohibition is not more abundant than the permitted. Prohibition is the majority → no תולין. | Mehaber s.2 |
| A דאורייתא prohibition (seif 3) | No תולין until the permitted is abundant enough to nullify it מן התורה (by majority). | Mehaber s.3 |
| מין במינו (seif 4) | Permitted a little more abundant than the piece of נבילה → we attribute: מן התורה מין במינו בטל ברוב (the Sages alone require 60). | Mehaber s.4; Taz s.k. 3 (siman 98) |
| אינו מינו (seif 4) | A different kind → we attribute only from 60 times more permitted than prohibited. | Mehaber s.4 |
Le-ma'asse (the conditions). Three guardrails: (1) the prohibition must not be the majority (seif 2); (2) a דאורייתא prohibition requires a majority of permitted (seif 3); (3) מין במינו → the majority suffices, אינו מינו → 60 is needed (seif 4). Assessing « מין במינו or not », the volumes and the nature of the prohibition is a factual question — ask your Rav.
Le-ma'asse (two permitted pots). When two pieces (one permitted, one prohibited) fall into two permitted pots without knowing where, and neither has enough to nullify → both are prohibited (מאי חזית), even a דרבנן prohibition. But if one has enough to nullify → both permitted. Whether a pot « has enough to nullify » depends on the volumes — ask your Rav.
| Order of the falls | Psak | Logic |
|---|---|---|
| 1st fall known, then 2nd fall unknown | « The second fell where the first fell » → the other pot permitted | We attach the doubt to the place already prohibited |
| 1st fall unknown, then 2nd fall known | Both prohibited | The 1st doubt remains whole; the 2nd adds a certain prohibition to one |
Le-ma'asse (successive falls). When the first fall is known and the second is not, we attach the second to the place of the first (the other pot remains permitted). The reverse order prohibits both. And as soon as there is 60 to nullify, it is as if nothing fell. Reconstructing the exact order of the falls and knowing whether there is 60 are factual questions — ask your Rav.
| Case | Do they combine? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Two pots of one and the same person, none has 60 but the two together do | Yes — they combine to nullify | « עומד להתערב »: all that belongs to a single person is destined to be mixed |
| One at home, one in the attic (אחת בבית ואחת בעלייה) | Yes — even far apart | The physical separation does not prevent the צירוף for a single person |
| Up to a hundred pots (עד מאה) | Yes | The צירוף is not limited to two |
| Two pots of two persons | No — no צירוף | What belongs to two persons is not destined to be mixed |
Le-ma'asse (הכל נכנס בספק). Two pots (or more, up to a hundred) of one and the same person, none of which has 60 but which together reach the 60 → they combine and the prohibition is nullified — even if one is in the cellar and the other in the attic. For two persons → no צירוף. According to the Rama, a stringent custom limits the leniency except in a case of loss, and then one mixes first before eating. Knowing whether everything indeed belongs to one person and counting the volumes is a factual question — ask your Rav.
Le-ma'asse (צירוף and חנ״נ). Remember: (1) the חנ״נ does not block the צירוף when the place of the prohibition is unknown; (2) but we do not combine when there is a real טעם to impart (Ra'ah). These nuances — a dry prohibition or one with taste, מין במינו, recognizable or not — are factual questions that only a posek decides — ask your Rav.
Methodological note. The responsa that follow (Yabia Omer, Yechavé Daat, Yalkut Yossef, Or LeTzion) extend the principles of siman 111 above to modern cases. They are not in the corpus of the siman; they are cited as recognized streams of psika, to be confirmed with a Rav before any application.
| Concrete case | Sephardic orientation (to be verified) |
|---|---|
| A דרבנן prohibition where the pot is unknown | תולין leniently (seif 1), as long as the prohibition is not the majority and it is not an איסור משהו (Shach s.k. 3). |
| Combining two pots of one person to reach the 60 | We rely on the הכל נכנס בספק (seif 7), even far apart, especially בהפסד; but we mix first (Rama). |
| Two permitted pots + a prohibition (where?) | מאי חזית → both prohibited without 60; permitted as soon as one has enough to nullify (seif 5). |
| Successive falls | 1st known then unknown → the other permitted; with 60 → as if nothing fell (seif 6). |
Methodological note. The same remark: these streams extend the Rama and the nossei kelim; they are cited as landmarks of psika, to be confirmed with a Rav.
| Concrete case | Ashkenazi orientation (to be verified) |
|---|---|
| תולין for a דרבנן prohibition | We follow the Mehaber (seif 1), but remain attentive to the איסורי משהו (Shach s.k. 3) and the conditions of majority. |
| צירוף of two pots of one person | יש מחמירין even for one person (Rama); permitted בהפסד, but we mix first before eating. |
| Successive falls | With 60 → as if nothing fell (Rama, B"Y in the name of the Rashba). |
| Limit of the צירוף | No combination when there is a real טעם to impart (Ra'ah, Shach s.k. 20). |
| Modern case | Tool of the siman | Orientation (to be confirmed with the Rav) |
|---|---|---|
| A prohibited ingredient (דרבנן) fallen into one of two pans, without knowing which | Seif 1 (תולין) | We attribute leniently (a דרבנן prohibition not the majority) → permitted; but not for a grave איסור משהו (Shach s.k. 3). |
| Combining two dishes of one and the same person to reach the 60 | Seif 7 (הכל נכנס בספק) | They combine — even far apart — if they belong to a single person; we mix first (Rama). For two persons → no. |
| Two successive falls of a prohibition (one known, the other not) | Seif 6 (זו אחר זו) | 1st known then unknown → the other pot permitted; reverse → both prohibited; with 60 → as if nothing fell. |
| Two permitted pots, one with enough to nullify | Seif 5 (מאי חזית) | Without 60 in either → both prohibited; as soon as one has enough to nullify → both permitted. |
Le-ma'asse. These situations mix factual questions — the nature of the prohibition (דרבנן or not, איסור משהו), the volumes, מין במינו or not, one or two persons, the sequence and knowledge of the falls — that only your Rav can decide upon seeing the case. The practical rule: reconstruct precisely which prohibition, where, in what quantity, belonging to whom, and in what order, then ask your Rav.
| Case | Measure (for us) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A דרבנן prohibition, unknown pot | תולין — permitted | As long as the prohibition is not the majority (seif 2); not an איסור משהו (Shach s.k. 3) |
| A דאורייתא prohibition | A majority of permitted is needed (nullification מן התורה) | Seif 3 |
| מין במינו / אינו מינו | מין במינו → majority; אינו מינו → 60 | Seif 4; Shach s.k. 5 |
| Two permitted pots + a prohibition | מאי חזית → both prohibited; permitted if one has 60 | Seif 5; Shach s.k. 11 |
| Successive falls | 1st known then unknown → the other permitted; with 60 → nothing | Seif 6; Rama |
| הכל נכנס בספק (צירוף) | One person → they combine (even house/attic); two → no | Seif 7; mix first (Rama) |
| חנ״נ and צירוף | The חנ״נ does not block the צירוף; but not if there is real טעם | Shach s.k. 17, 20; Taz s.k. 10 |
| Posek | Decisive contribution (corpus-anchored) |
|---|---|
| Mehaber (seifim 1-7) | תולין / שאני אומר for a דרבנן prohibition (seif 1); conditions of majority (seifim 2-4); מין במינו / אינו מינו; מאי חזית (seif 5); successive falls (seif 6); הכל נכנס בספק and the צירוף — one person, house/attic, up to a hundred (seif 7). |
| Rama (הגה) | Seif 6: with 60 → as if nothing fell (B"Y in the name of the Rashba). Seif 7: יש מחמירין even for one person; loss → permitted but mix first. |
| Shach (Siftei Kohen) | s.k. 1 (דרבנן = ספק דרבנן לקולא); s.k. 2 (שומנו של גיד, non-Jewish cheese — Rashba); s.k. 3 (איסורי משהו → no שאני אומר); s.k. 5 (חהל״ה: מן התורה בטל ברוב); s.k. 6 (B"Y/Rashba: 2 pots = חד בחד; 1 pot + 2 pieces more lenient); s.k. 11 (מאי חזית); s.k. 13-19 (Ramban/Rashba dispute, two persons; essentially like the Ramban); s.k. 17 (חנ״נ does not block the צירוף); s.k. 20 (Ra'ah: no צירוף when there is טעם). |
| Taz (Turei Zahav) | s.k. 1 (kal va-chomer from the bavot; Yevamot 82; a ספק דאורייתא of שיעור דרבנן permitted by שאני אומר — lighter than siman 110); s.k. 3 (מין במינו / אינו מינו, siman 98); s.k. 5 (חהל״ה: in doubt we are lenient — Ran); s.k. 6 (refutes the two-falls / one-fall distinction; Tossefta תרומות); s.k. 7 (not with דאורייתא; שאני אומר only דרבנן); s.k. 9 (יש מחמירין even for one person — Mahari"sh); s.k. 10 (mix first; the Rashba's leniency holds even without mixing; « כאלו כבר מעורב »). |
| Pri Megadim (פר״מ) | On the conditions of the תולין and the צירוף — clarifies the scope of the שאני אומר and the ספק דרבנן לקולא in the nossei kelim. |
| Pitchei Teshuva (פתחי תשובה) | s.k. 1 (Shaar HaMelech: recognizable pieces = איתחזק איסורא [vs Pri Chadash]; חזקת היתר of the pot → we attribute; ספק דרבנן + חזקת איסור = rules of the ס״ס); s.k. 2 (Shemen Rokeach: three pots, successive doubts; בהפסד מרובה lenient). |
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